Canadian Lung Association Blog

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Our ability to breathe is often taken for granted until it’s compromised. When wintertime illnesses take the air out of your lungs, it helps to know what you have so you can treat it accordingly. While your healthcare provider is the best source of information for your specific disease, here is a cheat sheet from The Lung Association to help you sort through the symptoms and get back to breathing. Common cold. This is the most common respiratory illness and the least severe one. The common cold is contagious and since it’s caused by a virus, no antibiotic will treat…

Not only is it the start of Canada’s peak flu season, October 1st also marks the United Nation’s International Day of Older Persons – a day about recognizing, enabling and expanding the contributions of older people in their families, communities, and society at large. At The Lung Association, we believe that protecting the breath of older Canadians is imperative to achieving this goal. Let’s start with flu prevention. Consider this: Despite only being 15% of Canada’s population1, adults 65+ accounted for 70% of hospitalizations and 91% of deaths due to influenza2 during the 2014/15 flu season. That’s more than 3,000 older Canadians…

Stay healthy and prevent the spread of influenza by taking the following steps: Ensure you and your family gets an annual flu shot. Wash your hands properly, and often. Twenty seconds of hand washing with warm water and soap helps remove bacteria and viruses. Cover up when you cough or sneeze. If a tissue is not available, raise your arm up to your face to cough or sneeze into your sleeve. If you use a tissue, dispose of it and wash your hands immediately. Keep shared surfaces like doorknobs, light switches, and telephones clean as bacteria can live up to…

If it seems like everyone around you is sick, you could be right. According to the latest Public Health Agency FluWatch report, we are reaching the peak of the flu season. Best advice: stay home when you are sick, wash your hands frequently, cover your cough or sneeze into your elbow, and stay well rested. For those with COPD or asthma, call your health care provider, certified respiratory educator, or use your action plan if your condition seems to be worsening.